Always
by sweetrupturedlight
Summary: Elijah, Hayley, her pregnancy. One-shot


**I own nothing, except a huge obsession with this pairing. Heaven help me.**

* * *

Hayley's miracle pregnancy reached the end of its first month. All the pregnancy related things that had gone _relatively_ smoothly up until then, went downhill, fast.

The morning sickness started and knew no end. It was mid-morning and she was where she normally was – hunched over the toilet.

"_Hayley…_"

She would have shook her head and made a valiant attempt to ward him off, but sudden movement caused the room to spin so her arms flailed and then dropped. _She didn't want him to see her like this_. Her stomach heaved again.

She felt her hair lifted from her shoulders, cool air brushing the back of her neck. There was a rustle, the swoosh of a designer jacket hitting the floor somewhere and then a cool cloth was pressed to her face.

"All done?" he asked, now kneeling on the tiled floor beside her.

"For now. What a bitch." She dragged air into her lungs. "I'm a mess. Miracle baby pregnancy sucks."

He chuckled and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She sat back on her knees and he let her face go. He was smiling.

"What's so funny?"

"You don't think it's amusing that we are both sprawled leisurely beside a toilet?"

"Well, you are in a suit." She groaned. "A very _expensive_ suit."

"Three piece actually. It's a favourite."

Hayley felt a pang, even though she knew he was teasing. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head imperceptibly. "I will always protect you."

Hayley rolled her eyes. He always reminded her of this fact. "Protect me from a toilet bowl?"

"From _anything_."

His tone, coupled with the look in his eyes had her stomach lurch. He rose to his feet, extending his warm, upturned palm towards her. When she looked up at him, she realised that the queasy feeling in the pit of her belly had nothing to do with miracle baby morning sickness and everything to do with the unrelenting charm of Elijah Mikaelson.

* * *

The first time she felt a fluttering in her stomach, Hayley was alone. She had read about what it would feel like. _Was this the baby moving?_ Standing, stupefied, this was how Elijah found her.

"Are you alright?"

She raised confused eyes and he frowned.

"I think… I think I feel the baby moving."

She watched his eyes flick to the swell of her stomach as he automatically took a step towards her.

On instinct, she reached for his hand and placed it where the feeling persisted.

"Can you feel that?"

His brow furrowed with concentration, and he moved closer, placing his free hand on the curve of her waist. She positioned both her hands over his, moving its position slightly. Eventually, he shook his head. "I cannot." His disappointment was palpable. "But I can hear its heartbeat."

"Sometimes," she confessed in a low whisper, "I'm not sure whether I want this baby. I mean," she rushed on, "I wonder about what kind of mother I will be. And then a moment like this happens and I am overwhelmed with… affection, I guess, for a child I considered aborting. I could screw this kid up in a million different ways."

The hand at her waist moved to stroke gently down her cheek. Hayley leaned into his touch and briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them, Elijah forced her to meet his gaze head on, his finger under her chin.

"You will be a wonderful mother." When he said it like that, she could almost believe him.

"And what about this baby's father? Klaus tolerates me-"

He shrugged. "You are in the company of family. I will always protect you and this baby. Always."

"_Elijah_…"

He gently pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. They stood like that for a long time. She wanted it to last forever.

* * *

When she was six months pregnant, Klaus stumbled into the mansion with a bloodied Elijah.

"What the hell?!" There was blood everywhere.

"No need to worry love. Just a few scrapes."

Hayley rushed forward but Klaus had already veered towards the sofa, depositing his brother. Elijah was unconscious, his dark suit bloodied.

"What the hell did you do?" she demanded.

Fire kindled in his eyes and his lips thinned. "Nothing. Just caught in the crossfire between Marcel's crew and those pesky witches down in the quarter."

Hayley kneeled beside Elijah, temporarily distracted when Klaus stormed from the room.

"Hey! Where are you going? He could be seriously hurt!"

"To teach some pups a lesson. Cheer up my little wolf, my big brother is an original vampire remember. So we know he won't die." The door slammed shut so hard, the windows rattled.

Hayley's attention returned to Elijah and she touched her hand to his forehead.

"Elijah?" she called. "Elijah."

His pristine suit was bloodied, his tie askew. A smile curved her lips at the sight. He always prided himself on looking impeccably groomed. She reached down and tugged at the knot, loosening the ruined piece of silk.

"I am bloodied and bruised and you tower over me with smiles."

"Oh my god! Are you alright? What happened? Klaus brought you in and dumped you on the sofa before hightailing it out of here. Asshole."

He shook his head. "Just caught in the crossfire."

Her hands stilled, resting on his chest. He frowned but reached out a hand, pushing a dark curl behind her ear. "You're on the floor."

She rolled her eyes. "I am pregnant. Pregnant people are allowed to kneel."

"Not a pregnant Mikaelson," he said.

Her breath caught in her throat and her cheeks warmed. "I am not a Mikaelson."

"Perhaps one day you will be."

* * *

"My back is in spasms," Hayley complained as she lowered herself into a cushioned sofa. It was late and they sat in the study.

"Bloody hell, I can't imagine being pregnant," Rebekah said as she eyed the large belly. "Look at the size of your ankles! And dragging around all those additional kilograms."

"And just like that, whatever self esteem I had left has evaporated." Hayley laughed.

Elijah sat on the arm of the sofa across from her and chuckled as he sipped from a crystal tumbler.

"But, one thing I will say, in aid of your self esteem, is that your skin looks bloody amazing." Rebekah moaned with envy.

"You glow," Elijah said, his gaze fixed on her. She squirmed a little, not sure if it was her back or the seriously sexy look of the vampire across from her.

"She does, doesn't she." Rebekah's eyes narrowed. "Although, not even the promise of your glow would tempt me."

She shifted again, trying to get comfortable.

"What is the matter?"

"It's just hard to get comfortable when I'm carrying the eight month old miracle baby inside of me."

Rebekah rose. "I'm off to bed." She paused beside Hayley and placed her hands on her rounded stomach. Hayley had learned early on that her belly belonged to all of the Mikaelson's. Even Klaus enjoyed feeling the child move. "Goodnight my hybrid little niece or nephew. I still can't believe you do not want to know the gender."

"Everything else about this pregnancy has been a damned surprise. Might as well have this one be as well."

Rebekah blew the belly a kiss and left, leaving her alone with Elijah.

She shifted and grimaced. "Where is Klaus?"

Elijah lifted a brow, placing his empty glass on a nearby table. "Where is my brother usually?"

"Usually? Making someone, somewhere incredibly unhappy," she said in jest.

Elijah laughed softly and sat beside her. He placed a large cushion on her lap and met her querying gaze.

"Lean into the pillow. Come on. It will help."

Hayley shifted forward and leaned into the softness on her lap. He moved even closer and she felt his hands move on her lower back. He rubbed gently and she bit her lip, a small, low moan of endless pleasure escaping.

"Oh. My. God. That feels amazing."

He didn't reply, only continued to rub rhythmically. Eventually, her head lolled to the side and she jerked awake. She had fallen asleep.

"Enough of this then." His hands stopped.

"Oh no, please. I will beg. Don't make me." She pulled a face that was ridiculously close to a pout. She couldn't even muster up the nerve to be embaressed.

"Bed time, I think," he said firmly. "Come." She didn't know how, but within the blink of an eye the pillow was gone and she was swung into his arms.

"Oh!"

It was unusual to be this close to him. She could not get herself to regret it though. If her time in this family had taught her anything, it was that Elijah Mikaelson was a good person. And somewhere between taking in a pregnant stray, dealing with his volitile brother, running interference between Rebekah and both brothers, she had fallen in love with him.

It was no surprise. She had a track record of making stupid decisions. But this wasn't a decision she'd made. It just happened. And now there was nothing that could be done about it.

When he lowered her to the floor beside her bed, Hayley placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. This late in the evening, he only had on a shirt, no tie, his jacket long discarded. She smiled a little. Seeing him this dishevelled was a highlight of her day.

"I think I can take it from here," she whispered, eyes fixed on the bump between them.

"The child is active this evening," he said, his head also lowered, his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Mmm." She met his gaze, her eyes giving her consent. "Like all Mikaelson's, this baby seems to like the night time."

The corners of his eyes crinkled with mirth as his large hands gently touched the firm mound. He laughed huskily when the baby kicked, a ridge forming where some body part pressed.

"I'll never get over how freaky that is."

"It's a miracle," he said earnestly. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For being here. For sharing this gift."

She shrugged. "It's not like I had a choice."

"I know."

For no good reason, tears popped into her eyes and she blinked them back. He raised her chin and slowly, deliberately placing his lips to hers. The kiss was chaste really. _But the sweetest moment of my life_, she realised.

"Good night."

When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

* * *

They say you forget the pain of childbirth the minute you hold your child in your arms. It was bullshit. But now, a month after the birth of her son, she could honestly say that she would do it all again. He was perfect. And he was a Mikaelson.

While she and Klaus would never be close, the birth of their son had brought with it a tangible truce. They still fought like hell, but they also laughed together sometimes.

It was almost midnight and she had just changed the baby's diaper. Klaus had _requested_ - she'd barely believed it - that the boy be called Henrik - although he was informally called Henry. The name was in honour of the youngest Mikaelson sibling whose death Klaus had always felt responsible for.

There was a knock at the door and she frowned. It was late. Not even Klaus bothered her at this hour.

It was Elijah. "Apologies," he said when she opened the door. "I heard him cry and thought to check in."

Hayley turned her son in her arms and deep brown eyes were barely visiable as his lids drooped.

"Actually, would you mind? I need to go to the toilet. I've needed to go for the last hour. But he was feeding and-"

Henry was gently, but firmly, removed from her arms. For a minute, she watched Elijah hold him and her heart squeezed. Two dark heads pressed together.

When she returned a few minutes later, he sat on the side of the bed and Henry was fast asleep. She sat down beside him and they both stared at the boy.

"He is a Mikaelson," Elijah said.

She nodded. "Klaus is very proud."

"We all are," he said.

"Are you?" she asked breathlessly because his eyes were fixed on her, drawing her in.

Hayley watched as he placed Henry in his crib before he straightened, placing both his hands in his pocket. It was his "thinking" stance she had come to learn.

"I find myself in quite a quandary these past months. I made a vow not to touch you while you carried Niklaus's child." Her heart raced and she stood too. "But now you have birthed him and I cannot be silent any longer."

He reached for her and cupped his hands to her face. "You are a delight and you have offered this family hope."

"I am forever the saviour," she said, disappointed. Would this be all she ever was to him?

"But perhaps," he said. "You have also saved me."

Hayley's hands cupped his wrists as they rested by her face. "I don't understand-"

He placed his lips to hers and her knees almost buckled. She could barely breathe.

"I have vowed to protect you. To protect your son. Always. But I had no protection against you. I have fallen in love with you Hayley Marshall. And it is a complication we might both come to regret."

"Do you? Regret it?"

"Niklaus may suspect my feelings for you. But suspicion is not fact until there has been action. Now there has been. And yet, no, I have no regrets."

She pressed her lips to his this time and for a moment, they were both lost.

"I do not regret it either," she whispered. "You _have_ protected me. And you _have_ protected my son. I trust you with our lives. We both love you."

He touched his forehead to hers. "Niklaus might kill us both," he warned.

"Let him try."

Hayley smiled at him as her arms wound around his back. They would deal with Klaus in the morning.

* * *

_a/n: I'm always obsessed with pregnancies. The fact that Hayley really is pregnant means that at least this time, its not something I had to make up. That at least is canon. Even though there has been so little to go on, I am really, really into this pairing. And I like the idea that Elijah would be honourable enough to wait until her baby was born before putting the inevitable moves on her. *wink wink* Thank you for reading, x_


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